WXIX on Libraries and Rally

Fox19 's take on the library budget and rallies: http://www.fox19.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15048&topVideoCatNoB=109491&topVideoCatNoC=104760&topVideoCatNoD=141804&topVideoCatNoE=142722&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3896795

Video on Importance of Libraries

Here is a nicely done video on the importance of libraries. The embed feature was not working, so here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG6CtH3V8Us

A Call for Transparency in Ohio

Image via Wikipedia

Friday morning, libraries across Ohio prepared for another busy day as a new generation of library users discovered the benefit of free libraries in the middle of a down economy. By Friday evening, those same libraries were scrambling to alert these new patrons that the pot of gold they had just discovered was in danger of being ripped away.

Public libraries in Ohio have been dealing with budget cuts since 2001, so news of more cuts was hardly a surprise. Many libraries had drawn up plans to deal with this year's reductions, as well as anticipated cuts for next year. Apparently, however, institutions that were told to expect cuts of up to 20% were shocked to find out that they were being asked to shoulder an excessive 50% cut in state funding. Libraries were blindsided by a process that, in today's communication utopia, should no longer be the norm.

How many of us are aware of the workings of the state budget? As numbers get shuffled, twisted, added, erased and manipulated, we go about our lives blissfully unaware of the impact of each day's maneuverings. When the budget gets tight, we sometimes find ourselves facing a day like Friday--a day none of us could have anticipated.

It shouldn't be this way, though. There are tools available to the state and the citizens of this state that should allow us to keep tabs on the budget process. Our governor and our legislators should be providing us with budgetary information on an ongoing basis. We should be able, through feeds and updates, to keep up with the difficulties our government faces in funding agencies and local governments. We should be able to follow the financial status of the issues that move us, inspire us, or even make us fume. The budgeting process should be an open conversation with the citizens of Ohio.

This isn't about putting down programs that we disapprove of. It's about finding inefficiencies, duplications and gaps. It's about tapping into the knowledge and expertise of Ohio's population to create a budget that better meets the needs of our citizens. It's about avoiding the chaos, uncertainty and despair that comes from a day like Friday. It's about respect for the citizens of Ohio.

While Stressing the Need to Modernize Ohio's Education System, Ted Strickland Reverts to an Old School Concept of Centralized Education

In a Columbus Metropolitan Speech given on Monday, May 4, 2009, governor Ted Strickland referred to the need to reform education for the "21st century economy." However, in laying out his plans, Mr. Strickland reverted to an old fashioned way of thinking of the school as "place."

As advances in communication have allowed for instant access to some information, education has expanded beyond the classroom. For Ohio's citizens (of all ages) to have a national and competitive advantage, they need access to a breadth of information sources anytime and anyplace. While the internet is an invaluable tool for society, the closest thing we have to a true information infrastructure is our library system.

Schools have a certain role in every society, but while we place all of our hopes in one institution, the cultures which outpace our educational system emphasize the value of learning which extends beyond the school walls and into the library.


Here are some of governor Strickland's statements from May's speech:

To prosper in Ohio, we must <>.
Because the best answer, in fact, the only answer to the question is this: to prosper in Ohio, we must educate. Educate to the very best of our abilities.

Apparently educating to the best of our abilities includes reducing free access to information.


My brothers and sisters, Ohio’s Revival cannot be fueled by low expectations. A better day will not begin with us doing more of the same.

We will still be relying on the old centralized school system model--without the safety net of publicly accessible information.


It is my firm conviction that in order to revive Ohio we must provide the best, most progressive, most advanced educational opportunities for our children, and demand of them nothing short of excellence.

Without, of course, giving them the tools they need to achieve excellence.


Our commitment runs from birth to diploma, from job training to jobs.

Not, however, from school to home, or from Spring to Fall.


For our youngest learners, we are committed to developing a system of high quality services that focus on comprehensive development. We have expanded access to quality early childhood education programs for families and strengthened professional development and training for early childhood professionals.

While limiting families' access to supplementary reading material which would encourage a love of learning that goes beyond the classroom.


For college students and their families, we put a stop to a decade of annual 9 percent tuition hikes, and implemented the only two-year tuition freeze in the nation.

Reducing the funds made available to college libraries for research and inquiry. Ensuring that students will have to dig deeper into their pockets to acquire books required for their classes.


For adults in need of new job skills, we’ve brought job-training programs into the Department of Development and the Board of Regents as part of an ongoing commitment to focus training on areas of high job growth and high employer demand.

We will refuse them, however, public access to the computer terminals necessary for the poorest of these to fill out employment applications.


I believe the time has come to take an education system that in many respects is 200 years old and redesign it for modern students and the modern economy.

We will do this by pushing more money into the old system and removing the safety net provided by libraries.


But, my friends, in the days and decades ahead, a strong Ohio will require creative minds and innovative thinkers.
Each year, R&D Magazine hands out its “R&D 100 Awards” in honor of what they consider to be the year’s 100 most significant American innovations and inventions. These are the Academy Awards of economic creativity.
This year, Ohioans won 10 awards – second most among the 50 states.
That’s the future of Ohio –powered by well-educated innovators.

Where, exactly, will these innovators go to do their patent searches when the public library cuts those services due to budget shortages?


The Cleveland Clinic has spun off two dozen medical technology companies this decade.
That’s the future of Ohio –powered by well-educated entrepreneurs.

They can easily access the databases, books, forms, records and expertise they need at the libr---oops! Never mind.


But our students will not be ready to invent, design, solve problems, and lead companies if we can’t muster the courage and the foresight to provide them a 21st century education.

What exactly is a 21st century education, since it apparently doesn't involve the best information we can provide?


In the last “Program for International Student Assessment” – which measures students’ ability to solve problems and apply information – the U.S. finished behind the likes of Finland, China, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and even tiny Liechtenstein.
And what do those countries have in common? In economic growth, all rank well ahead of the United States.

Well, let me tell you. Better yet, let's ask Finland's Ministry of Education:

"Finland is known for its comprehensive library network, high user and lending rates and effective use of technology and information networks in libraries.

Municipal libraries, research libraries, specialist libraries and libraries at educational institutions form part of the national and international information service network. Both municipal and research libraries are open to all. Students use public and research libraries side by side.

In Finland the guiding principle in public libraries is to offer free access to cultural and information sources for everyone irrespective of their place of residence and financial standing. No fee is charged for either borrowing or the use of library collections at the library.

About 80% of Finns are regular library users. Finns visit a library 11 times a year on average. Each year a Finn takes out 19 books, discs or magazines on average. The library net sites register over 38 million visits a year. "


And finally, Ohio will have a school funding system that relies on research and evidence to determine the components of a thorough and efficient education. And we are committing to fund those components thereby assuring all Ohio students, no matter where they live, will have the educational opportunities that will allow them to succeed in the 21st century.

Frankly, I can't understand how any situation that involves removing educational opportunities can be considered efficient.



People call this an education plan, but quite frankly, this is a plan for Ohio’s economic revival.
Because a student who graduates from our schools will have been asked to think and draw conclusions, to not just memorize facts, but use and apply them.

Where will this student find "facts?" Are we to find them only in textbooks? Those are always unbiased, right? You could review textbooks over a hundred years and see how "facts" change. Although, that will be difficult to do if the libraries are gone.



We are moving forward even though the tax reforms passed four years ago, which I have supported, will reduce the general revenue fund by more than $4 billion during the next biennial budget.

I'm not even sure how to respond to this one.



If we let this moment pass…we will not only have failed our state, we will not only have demonstrated timidity in the face of challenge, we will have sinned against our children.

I think that goes for those of us who see the values in libraries, as well.

Ohio's Libraries in Danger

An open letter to Ted Strickland and Ohio's lawmakers,

It has come to my attention that you plan to cut public library funding in Ohio by over 50%. That would be a mistake. To do so would cripple the state's economic recovery. Free public libraries represent society's last chance at educating and empowering our most desperate citizens. They provide free opportunities for families, workers, entrepreneurs, students, and small businesses to move forward and contribute to the community.

Families across Ohio are relying on public libraries to get them through these hard times. As budgets tighten, they are able to seek enlightenment and entertainment for free at their public libraries.

Boomers who have had steady employment for years find themselves out of work, and are told when they apply for new jobs to apply online. Many of these people have felt no need to own computers or to have internet access. When they tell potential employers of their predicament, they are inevitably told to use computers at the library.

People seeking to further their education are relying on the library for GED materials and study guides. Teachers who find themselves without school libraries due to previous cuts are relying on public libraries to provide books for their students.

Small business owners and entrepreneurs are using library resources for market research, grants, business plans and loan information.

Please do not hamstring the state's recovery by cutting the its best remaining resource for parents, educators, jobseekers and small business owners. Please do not cut library funding.

PLE in the Works

My wife has asked me to help her in the creation of a research skills class for the homeschool co-op we participate in. I accepted, but the challenge has reminded me of how much I do is on the spur of the moment or off the top of my head. I decided it would be in my best interests to create a formal Personal Learning Environment (PLE). I will try to document my efforts over the next few weeks. I have a few articles and documents I have collected over the last two years and I will try to make those available here, either through links or references.

The first thing I have done, however, is to make sure that my Firefox browser is equipped with the latest versions of Zotero, Scribefire, FireShot, and Delicious plugins. Zotero allows me to capture web pages and journal articles, as well as the accompanying bibliographic information. Scribefire allows me to create blog entries on the fly without actually signing into my blog account. FireShot is an excellent screen capture utility. I can easily bookmark and tag items of interest with my del.icio.us plugin.

Zotero allowed me to create a short bibliography and paste it to my clipboard so I could drop it into this blog entry on Scribefire like this:

Bentley, Nancy. Don't be a copycat! : write a great report without plagiarizing. Berkeley Heights NJ: Enslow Elementary, 2008.

Gelb, Michael. Innovate like Edison : the success system of America's greatest inventor. New York N.Y.: Dutton, 2007.

Hunt, Andy. Your research project : how to manage it. London ;;New York NY: Routledge, 2005.

Newport, Cal. How to become a straight-A student : the unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less. 1st ed. New York: Broadway Books, 2007.

Sertillanges, A. The intellectual life, its spirit, conditions, methods, Westminster Md.: Newman Press, 1948.

Hopefully, everything else will go as smoothly.

Cool Presentation Product

Here's something that could come in handy for a small scale presentation:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/technology/personaltech/05pogue.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Libraries and the Infrastructure

In today's New York Times article, "I.B.M. Has Tech Answer for Woes of Economy," I.B.M.'s CEO calls for technological investment in overhauling the country's infrastructure. Samuel Palmisano calls for public and private investment in addressing problems with traffic, energy grid efficiency, food distribution and a host of other challenges faced by society today.

I agree with this approach and I think that libraries have a part to play in this, as well. Technology is a powerful tool for problem solving, but not as powerful as technology partnered with efficient information sources--like libraries. This dovetails rather well with what I was trying to say last year about libraries as information producers. We have the information, we just need to do a better job of pushing it.

Libraries are strategically positioned throughout the country to serve as information hubs for large scale information intensive projects. Some may argue that the Internet as it stands right now is sufficient for the job, but a great deal of material is not present on the Internet, including blueprints, community planning documents, community council proceedings, property records, grant proposals, old newspaper records...I know that in our neck of the woods, when someone is looking for archived news, the local paper refers them to the local library.

This information, when used in conjunction with newer technology resources, local telecommunications companies, the support of local businesses, governments, and nonprofit agencies, and a more transparent problem solving approach, should yield more efficient ways of doing things. The community that manages this approach first and best will have a tremendous head start on the rest of us and a powerful draw for new businesses.

Google's Product Development Strategy

I ran across an article this morning on Google's Android project. Android is Google's attempt to create an open source operating system for mobile phone technology. The idea is that Android would serve as an open source operating system and companies would develop hardware around it. Recently, T-Mobile announced that they would be releasing the G1--the first handset designed to operate with Android.

In his article, Chris O'Brien points to a number of Google's recent projects, including OpenSocial, which is designed to create an open API standard for social networking sites. O'Brien points to a lack of promotion and development for past initiatives and emphasizes their failure to gain significant market share.

If you are just evaluating these initiatives on their individual merit, O'Brien has a point. I'm not certain that I would buy shares in T-Mobile based on the G1, and I wouldn't purchase one of the phones at the moment, either.

I think, however, that many people are missing the point on these initiatives. Google is not trying to become a mobile phone vendor--Google is trying to expand the reach and openness of the web. If Google's initiative results in Symbian making its operating system into a more robust web platform, then Google will have gained eyes for its search services and boosted its AdSense revenue. So even if Google loses the market share contest to other platforms, it wins if those platforms integrate more web services.

The same can be said of Chrome. Even if Firefox and Explorer trounce Chrome, and it ends up with less than 1% of the market share. Google will benefit if the other companies adopt its anonymous browser technology (as Mozilla is already beginning to do) or its faster JavaScript virtual machine (again, as Mozilla is planning to do.) 

So, while I don't think that Android necessarily heralds an explosion of open source mobile operating systems, I do think that the G1 may be the vanguard of better web technology in the smartphone market. If Google has spurred mobile phone companies to create better web platforms, Google wins again.

What To Do When You Know You Should Know Something But You Don't

As reference librarians, we are expected by the public to be know it alls. Many patrons ask me questions and they seem surprised when I consult a resource to answer their question. I have also fielded questions over the phone where the patron has said, "If you don't know it off the top of your head, don't bother looking it up--I'm in a hurry." Sometimes this confidence can be a refreshing moment in a day of lost books, damaged books, disputed fines, rowdy patrons, and long lines. At other times, however, it can be a tad disconcerting because sometimes, we haven't got a clue.

Now, the problem isn't always that we don't know anything. Sometimes, the patron is mumbling (or we're hard of hearing.) Sometimes, the patron was sleeping:

"Do you have Raven in the World, by Aldiss Hussey?"
"Do you mean Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley?"

Sometimes, we're wrestling with inadequate technology, like a million dollar catalog that struggles when you search for more than two terms at a time. Sometimes, the patron doesn't have a clue (just kidding, the patron's always right.)

Anyway, after we say, "I'm sorry, could you please repeat that?" there are a number of things we can focus on to keep our patrons confident in our abilities.

First, we must radiate assurance as we subtly Google the bizarre words that we thought we just heard. This is the point where we are silently thankful for Google's "Did you mean...." result that can make us look so intelligent when we say, "Ah, yes. Here it is!_____________" and say the phrase correctly as if the patron said it that way to begin with. Yes Google is scanning our libraries, serving as the first resource for curious patrons and putting us out of jobs, but really, this kind of image protection is priceless. Just don't let the patrons know what you did.

Next, blame the computer. The patron has no idea what's going on on your side of the monitor. They believe that we are whipping through secret databases, archives or technical "web stuff." They don't have to know that you're frantically Googling, Amazoning, Worldcatting or whatever alternate resource you are using because your catalog freaks out when too much is asked of it (au: Grisham AND su:lawyers....1,000 results....au:Grisham AND su:lawyers AND kw:cancer....does not compute.)

Third, use clarifying questions that help you avoid exposing your lack of knowledge, while you try to piece together the information the patron is really looking for. This is similar to the tactics many of us use when we can't remember someones name: "Hey there, you. I haven't seen you since...since...since....How long has it been?" In library terms, this would involve questions like, "How do you intend to use this information?" or "What aspects of the subject do you wish to know about?" or "Tell me what you know about it so far." Caveat: This approach does not work well if the patron's question was, "Where is the restroom?"

Finally, if all else fails, casually laugh and tell the patron that you don't really work there--you were just looking for the real librarian--and slowly walk away.